Biography

Has only missed two games in his entire career, and he enters the 2016 season having played in 104 consecutive regular-season games with 85 consecutive regular-season starts.

In 2015, he became the fourth Steelers’ linebacker to record 30.0 sacks and 10 interceptions since 1982.

In 2015, he became the ninth Steelers’ linebacker since 1970 to record 10 career interceptions as a Steeler.

Named to his first Pro Bowl in 2014.

Named second-team Associated Press All-Pro in 2014.

Has recorded over 100 tackles in four of the last five seasons, including a team-leading 119 in 2015 (a career-high 155 in 2013, 149 in 2010, 141 in 2014 and 134 in 2012).

Has registered at least 10 tackles in 39 career games during the regular season, including four times in 2015.

In 2012, he became the first linebacker since Joey Porter (2002) to lead the team or tie for the team lead in tackles, interceptions and sacks in the same season.

Named a Sports Illustrated All-Pro twice (2010 and 2012).

Named to Pro Football Weekly’s Midseason All-Pro Team in 2010.

Earned AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors (Week 6) in 2010.

PRO (154-122/11-7): Signed a six-year contract extension on August 23, 2011, to keep him with the team through the 2016 season…originally drafted by the Steelers in the first round (15th overall) of the 2007 NFL Draft.

2016 (12-12): Has played in 116 consecutive regular-season games, the longest active games played streak among NFL linebackers…has started 97 consecutive regular-season games, the longest current starts streak among NFL linebackers.

9/25 at Philadelphia:Left the game due to a right shin injury in the second quarter and did not return.

10/9 vs. N.Y. Jets: Split a half-sack with LB Arthur Moats.

10/23 vs. New England: Recorded a season-high 11 tackles, which led the team.

11/6 at Baltimore:Played in his 150th career game…tied for the team lead in tackles (9) and pass breakups (2).

11/20 at Cleveland:Sacked QB Josh McCown in the fourth quarter…led the team with eight tackles.

11/24 at Indianapolis:Led the team with 10 tackles.

12/4 vs. N.Y. Giants: Picked off QB Eli Manning, his first interception of the season and 11th of his career, and he returned it 58 yards…tied for the team lead with seven tackles.

Has only missed two games in his entire career, and he enters the 2016 season having played in 104 consecutive regular-season games with 85 consecutive regular-season starts.

In 2015, he became the fourth Steelers’ linebacker to record 30.0 sacks and 10 interceptions since 1982.

In 2015, he became the ninth Steelers’ linebacker since 1970 to record 10 career interceptions as a Steeler.

Named to his first Pro Bowl in 2014.

Named second-team Associated Press All-Pro in 2014.

Has recorded over 100 tackles in four of the last five seasons, including a team-leading 119 in 2015 (a career-high 155 in 2013, 149 in 2010, 141 in 2014 and 134 in 2012).

Has registered at least 10 tackles in 39 career games during the regular season, including four times in 2015.

In 2012, he became the first linebacker since Joey Porter (2002) to lead the team or tie for the team lead in tackles, interceptions and sacks in the same season.

Named a Sports Illustrated All-Pro twice (2010 and 2012).

Named to Pro Football Weekly’s Midseason All-Pro Team in 2010.

Earned AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors (Week 6) in 2010.

PRO (154-122/11-7): Signed a six-year contract extension on August 23, 2011, to keep him with the team through the 2016 season…originally drafted by the Steelers in the first round (15th overall) of the 2007 NFL Draft.

2016 (12-12): Has played in 116 consecutive regular-season games, the longest active games played streak among NFL linebackers…has started 97 consecutive regular-season games, the longest current starts streak among NFL linebackers.

9/25 at Philadelphia:Left the game due to a right shin injury in the second quarter and did not return.

10/9 vs. N.Y. Jets: Split a half-sack with LB Arthur Moats.

10/23 vs. New England: Recorded a season-high 11 tackles, which led the team.

11/6 at Baltimore:Played in his 150th career game…tied for the team lead in tackles (9) and pass breakups (2).

11/20 at Cleveland:Sacked QB Josh McCown in the fourth quarter…led the team with eight tackles.

11/24 at Indianapolis:Led the team with 10 tackles.

12/4 vs. N.Y. Giants: Picked off QB Eli Manning, his first interception of the season and 11th of his career, and he returned it 58 yards…tied for the team lead with seven tackles.

2015 (16-16/2-2): Started all 16 games in the regular season for the fifth consecutive season and started both playoff games…had a team-best 119 tackles in the regular season…tallied 5.0 sacks during the regular season, his fourth season with at least 5.0 sacks in his career.

10/1 vs. Baltimore: Recorded a sack…led the defense with 11 tackles.

10/18 vs.Arizona: Started his 100th career game…picked off his 10th career pass.

10/25 at Kansas City: Led the defense with 10 tackles…added a half-sack.

11/1 vs.Cincinnati: Recovered a blocked kick that was tipped by DE Cameron Heyward in the fourth quarter.

11/15 vs.Cleveland: Recorded a sack on QB Johnny Manziel.

12/20 vs.Denver: Sacked QB Brock Osweiler…moved into 10th place on the team’s all-time sack list since sacks became an official statistic in 1982.

1/3 at Cleveland: Totaled 1.5 sacks and one forced fumble…moved into ninth place on the team’s all-time sacks list since sacks became an official statistic in 1982...marked his 11th career forced fumble…totaled 10 tackles, his 39th career game with at least 10 tackles during the regular season.

2014 (16-16/1-1): Started all 16 games in the regular season, and started the lone postseason contest…led the team with 141 tackles, which was good for second-best in the AFC and seventh-best in the NFL during the regular season…recorded at least 10 tackles in eight games.

10/20 vs. Houston: Led the team with 12 tackles…recorded one sack on QB Ryan Fitzpatrick.

11/2 vs. Baltimore: Recorded a sack of QB Joe Flacco.

11/9 at N.Y. Jets: Led the defense with a season-high 13 tackles.

12/21 vs. Kansas City: Tied his season-high with 13 tackles.

2013 (16-16): Started all 16 games…totaled a single-season career-high 155 tackles…led the linebackers in tackles or finished second among linebackers in tackles in every game…led the team or tied for the team lead in tackles six times.

10/13 at N.Y. Jets: On a play where LB Jarvis Jones pressured QB Geno Smith, he picked off Smith’s pass at the Steelers’ three-yard line and returned it 26 yards…led the linebackers with 10 tackles.

10/20 vs. Baltimore: Recorded a career-high 20 tackles, breaking his previous mark of 17 set in 2012 (12/9/12 vs. San Diego).

10/27 at Oakland: Forced a fumble of WR Jacoby Ford in the fourth quarter that was recovered by DE Brett Keisel…the Steelers scored a touchdown on the ensuing drive…became the 10th player in team history with at least 10 career forced fumbles…had a team-high 12 tackles.

11/10 vs.Buffalo: Sacked QB E.J. Manuel for a loss of four yards in the third quarter.

12/29 vs.Cleveland: Led the team with 12 tackles…picked off QB Jason Campbell with one minute remaining in the fourth quarter.

2012 (16-16): Started all 16 contests…led the team in tackles (134), interceptions (3) and tied for the team lead in sacks (6.0)…his three interceptions are a single-season career-high…led or tied for the team lead in tackles in nine games, including five of the final seven…recorded the first defensive touchdown of his career, a 53-yard interception return at Cleveland in Week 12…registered at least one sack in three straight games for the first time in his career, and registered two sacks in each of the final two games for the first time in his career.

10/7 vs. Philadelphia: Forced a fumble on QB Michael Vick that was recovered by LB Larry Foote at the Eagles’ 34-yard line.

10/11 at Tennessee: Intercepted QB Matt Hasselbeck in the fourth quarter and returned it four yards to the Tennessee 48-yard line, which set up a Steelers field goal.

11/4 at N.Y. Giants: Registered an 11-yard sack on QB Eli Manning on third down to force a punt early in the fourth quarter.

11/12 vs. Kansas City: Intercepted QB Matt Cassel and returned it 23 yards to the Chiefs’ five-yard line on the Chiefs’ second play in overtime to set up K Shaun Suisham’s game-winning field goal.

11/25 at Cleveland: On the first drive of the game, intercepted QB Brandon Weeden’s pass off DE Brett Keisel’s deflection and returned it 53 yards for a touchdown…tied for the team-high with 13 tackles with S Ryan Clark.

12/9 vs. San Diego: Recorded 17 tackles…marked the most tackles by a Steelers player since LB James Farrior had 17 on December 3, 2006 vs. Tampa Bay.

12/16 at Dallas: Registered a sack on QB Tony Romo for a 13-yard loss in the third quarter.

12/23 vs. Cincinnati: Led the team with 10 tackles…registered 2.0 sacks on QB Andy Dalton…marked his second career two-sack game against the Bengals (10/19/08 at Cincinnati).

12/30 vs. Cleveland: Recorded 2.0 sacks on consecutive plays with less than two minutes remaining in the game…the first was an eight-yard loss, and the second was a sack and forced fumble…registered 2.0 or more sacks in back-to-back games for the first time in his career…marked his sixth career 2.0 sack game.

2011 (16-16/1-1): Started all 16 games for the first time in his career…four of those starts were at ROLB in place of injured LB James Harrison (Weeks 5-8)…he also started the lone postseason contest…recorded 91 tackles during the regular season, adding five tackles on special teams (one, 11/13 at Cincinnati, 11/27 at Kansas City, 12/4 vs. Cincinnati, 12/24 vs. St. Louis and 1/1 at Cleveland).

9/11 at Baltimore: Had a team-high 10 tackles.

11/13 at Cincinnati: Recorded his first interception of the season early in the fourth quarter.

12/24 vs. St. Louis: Recorded a team-high nine tackles, to go along with one QB pressure and one pass breakup…recorded one sack for minus-11 yards.

1/1 at Cleveland: Recorded a sack for minus-two yards…marked the third time in his career he registered at least one sack in back-to-back games…he also forced his first career fumble on special teams.

AFC Wild Card Game 1/8 at Denver: Totaled six tackles and one QB pressure.

2010 (16-15/3-3): Saw action in all 16 regular-season games, starting 15 of them…led the team with 149 tackles...had 3.0 sacks, two interceptions, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and seven pass breakups…added four special teams tackles (two, 10/3 vs. Baltimore, and one, 9/12 vs. Atlanta and 11/14 vs. New England)…was part of a defense that held its opponents to an NFL-best and Steelers’ team-record 62.8 rushing yards per game…started all three postseason contests…tied for the team lead with 21 tackles in the postseason, and one on special teams (1/15 vs. Baltimore).

2009 (14-13): Played in 14 games, starting 13…inactive due to a hamstring injury 9/10 vs. Tennessee and was inactive due to an ankle injury 11/9 at Denver…registered a single-season career-high 7.0 sacks…forced a single-season career-high four fumbles…added two special teams tackles (one, 9/27 at Cincinnati and 10/11 at Detroit).

10/11 at Detroit: Recorded seven tackles and one sack.

10/18 vs. Cleveland: Registered 2.0 sacks and two forced fumbles.

11/22 at Kansas City: Tallied four tackles, three QB pressures, one sack and one forced fumble.

11/29 at Baltimore: Registered 2.0 sacks and one forced fumble.

12/10 at Cleveland: Registered a season-high 13 tackles.

1/3 at Miami: Recorded seven tackles, one pass breakup and one sack.

2008 (16-2/3-0): Played in all 16 regular-season games, making his first two starts…recorded his first career interception 11/30 at New England and returned it 89 yards, the third-longest interception return in team history during the regular season…made eight tackles on special teams (one, 9/7 vs. Houston, 9/14 at Cleveland, 9/29 vs. Baltimore, 10/19 at Cincinnati, 10/26 vs. N.Y. Giants, 11/20 vs. Cincinnati, 12/14 at Baltimore, 12/28 vs. Cleveland)…played in all three postseason games…made three postseason tackles on special teams (one, 1/11 vs. San Diego, 1/18 vs. Baltimore and 2/1 vs. Arizona).

9/29 vs. Baltimore: Recorded his first career sack, taking down QB Joe Flacco in overtime.

10/19 at Cincinnati: Registered 2.0 sacks, the first game in his career with 2.0 sacks.

11/3 at Washington: Finished with four tackles and a sack.

11/30 at New England: Registered his first career interception, which he returned 89 yards to the Patriots’ one-yard line in the fourth quarter.

12/7 vs. Dallas: Recovered a fumble on special teams.

12/14 at Baltimore: Forced the first fumble of his career when he sacked QB Joe Flacco on the Ravens’ next-to-last-possession, knocking them out of field goal range.

AFC Championship Game 1/18 vs. Baltimore: Recovered the first fumble of his postseason career late in the fourth quarter.

2007 (16-0/1-0): Appeared in all 16 games and the lone postseason contest…tied for second on team with 12 special teams tackles (three, 9/16 vs. Buffalo, two, 9/23 vs. San Francisco and 12/2 vs. Cincinnati, and one, 9/9 at Cleveland, 10/7 vs. Seattle, 11/18 at N.Y. Jets, 12/16 vs. Jacksonville and 12/20 at St. Louis).

11/5 vs. Baltimore: Saw extensive action on special teams and recovered his first career fumble on special teams on a fumble forced by LB James Harrison.

11/26 vs. Miami: Recovered the first defensive fumble of his career.

COLLEGE: Played in 38 games with 13 starts at Florida State (2004-06)…finished his career with 126 tackles, 22.5 TFLs and 8.0 sacks… was credited with eight quarterback pressures and recovered two fumbles, returning one 36 yards for a touchdown... recorded a 22-yard interception return for a touchdown and seven pass deflections…caused two fumbles, blocked four kicks and gained 94 yards with one touchdown on three blocked punt returns…blocked four total kicks (punts and field goals) during his career...added two blocked extra point attempts (vs. Duke and Clemson) in 2006 that were both returned for defensive scores, marking the first time in ACC history that a team did that twice in the same season…in 2006, was named All-American third-team and was an All-Atlantic Coast Conference first-team selection by The NFL Draft Report…majored in social sciences.

PERSONAL: Attended Wilson High School (Florence, S.C.), where he was named to Prep Star’s Top 100 team, in addition to picking up Super Prep Elite 50 honors as a senior...earned Defensive Player of the Year honors and was the top prep prospect in the state of South Carolina his final campaign...played in the 2003 Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas that pitted the high school all-stars from North Carolina and the all-stars from South Carolina...earned all-state first team accolades in 2004 after amassing over 150 tackles and 2.0 sacks on defense, while recording 47 receptions for more than 800 yards with five touchdowns as a senior tight end...added all-state honors as a junior tight end with 42 receptions for 680 yards with 14 touchdowns, as he also recorded 95 tackles and 4.0 sacks on defense...son of Audrey and Lindsey Timmons...Full name: Lawrence Olajuwon Timmons.